Regarding Robert Gardner’s letter, “My guns are my business,” why do some people always seem to think that the government is trying to take away their gun rights?

Background checks are a reasonable way of hopefully preventing felons and mentally ill people from obtaining guns, and that is the only reason for having them. When you buy a gun at a legitimate outlet, I believe there should be a background check. However, no background checks are required at gun shows and other outlets of this kind.

No one, including E.J. Dionne, is accusing Mr. Gardner of being aligned with murderers any more than any of us would be aligned with a reckless driver who killed someone. I’m sure he is a law-abiding citizen who has every right to own his guns. But there are too many people in this country who should not have the right to own a gun, such as convicted felons and those who are mentally unstable.

That is the only reason for expanding these background checks: preventing those people from obtaining guns. When you own a car, you must have a license and pass a written and driving test. If you want to buy a gun at a gun show, all you have to do is plunk down the cost of that weapon.

No laws can prevent some gun violence. However, if background checks can prevent even a small percentage of unqualified buyers from obtaining these weapons, then it would be well worth it.